Speed-regulator for turbines.



No. 798,496. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

B. S. CHURCH. SPEED REGULATOR FOR TURBINES. PPPP ICATION I'ILBD'NOV.30,1904.

PATENTED AUGJZQ, 1905.

B. S. CHURCH.

SPEED REGULATOR FOR TURBINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.-30,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H HTIT {b Q I gwuawtoz F/JQRMZ. g Wad UNITED STATES FATENT @FFIQE.

SPEED-REGULATOR FORTURBINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed Nov e 30. 190 Serial No. 234.962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. CHURCH, of the borough of Manhattan,city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Speed Regu lators for Expansible-Fluid Turbines,of which the following is a full, complete, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying diagrams, which are hereby madepart thereof.

The object of my invention is to produce, first, a speed-regulator forexpansible-fluid turbines by means of which the speed of rotation may bevaried under all conditions of load without material diminution ofefliciency, and, second, a speed regulator adapted to maintain anapproximately constant speed under variable load and depending uponprinciples which are better suited to the requirements of theexpansible-fluid turbine than those upon which the ordinarythrottling-governor operates.

I have shown my invention in connection with one of my turbines, forwhich I have filed an application for patent, the serial number of whichapplication is 227,294, and the date of filing October 5, 1904; but itwill be clear upon examination that my invention can be applied withsuch modifications as would readily suggest themselves to any of theWellknown forms of turbines, and I desire to cover the application of myspeed-regulator to any and all such turbines and to any and all turbinesusing expansible fluids where the expansible quality of the fluid isrendered available for the development of power.

Figure 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of one of my turbines, showingthe operating parts of the speed-regulator in position, the portion ofthe view showing the interior of the turbine being taken along the line1 1 of Fig. 3. Figs. 2 and 3 are exterior views of one of my turbines,showing a method of connecting the speed-regulator with the devicesintended to actuate it when used as a governor for constant speed withvariable load, for which use I will now proceed to describe it; but Iwould be understood as claiming equally its use as a speed-regulator forvariable speed and load, such use being more readily explained after adescription of its use as a governor for constant speed.

In Fig. 1 it will be understood that the highpressure expansible fluidentering the turbine through the inlet I (shown in Figs. 2 and 3)sequence of which each of the said ports p and 2) passes one-half of theexpansible fluid entering the chamber 0, and each of the said portionsof expansible fluid operates in a precisely similar manner upon themoving bucketbladcs B. The portion of expansible fluid passing outthrough p after making its impact upon the bucket-blades B enters thechamber G, from which it passes into the chamber through the casing ofthe turbine in a manner described fully in my patent application abovereferred to. From 0 it passes out through the port against the bladesBand into the chamber C, from which it passes into the chamber 0 andthrough the port 12 against the blades B, and so on until finallyexhausted. The ports 19, p and 213 increase in size by an amount whichcannot well be shown in a small figure and which increase is calculatedto correspond with the increasing volume of the expanding fluid in suchmanner that the velocity of the successive jets of expanding fluid isapproximately uniform in the fullload or open position of thespeed-regulator, as will be subsequently explained. Each of the ports 1)p p is rectangular in cross-section and is provided with a gate Gr Grfitting closely and capable of being moved across the said ports intothe position shown by the dotted lines in connection with the gate G bya partial rotation of the shafts S S S to which the said gates aresuitably connected. The shaft S is also provided with a gate, which isnot shown. Each of the said shafts has at its outward extremity an arm AA A A each arm being provided with a cross-head 7L /1/ 71 except the armA which has an extension (0, to which is connected, by means of the linkL, the conical pendulum or other mech anism intended to actuate thespeed-regulator when used as a governor for constant speed. Thecross-heads lb, it, and [b are connected together and to the arm A bymeans of the links N Z, and each cross-head is provided withadjusting-screws j y" 7' by means of which the position of the saidcross-heads as respects the shafts S, S, and S can be varied and insimilar degree the relative angular movement of the said gates. Theboltsmarked 7) are provided in order to bind the cross-heads It, 72/,and it" in their required positions, as will subsequently be explained.The upper edges g, g, and g of the gates G, Gr, and are in the form of acurve which is so shaped thatin all positions of the gate other than thefull-open position the passage remaining open isin the form of anexpansion-tube, as is shown by thedotted lines in connection with thegate Q. It will be apparent that the nearer the gate approaches itsclosed position the greater will be the angular divergence between theedges g, g, and of the said gates and the opposite sides of the ports1), p, and p and consequently the degree of expansion will be greater,and that I have accordingly devised a form of expansion-tube wherein thedegree of expansion may be varied, and as this takes place during thefirst expansion of the fluid, before it strikes the blades of theturbine, the result is the same as admitting the expansible fluid atlower pressure to the turbinewheel, with a consequent reduction of itsvelocity of rotation. As the expansion is increased the velocity of theexpanding jet is similarly accelerated, and in order that this velocitymay not become too great to prevent the jet from transferring itskinetic energy to the blades B in an efficient manner I have providedthat the expansion shall take place in a plurality of steps, of which Ihave shown twoto wit, those taking place at the ports 1) and if. I havenot shown more for the sake of simplicity; but it is to be understoodthat I-might have shown a gate in connection with the port p" and mayuse as many such gates as seem desirable, which will depend upon theconditions under which the expansible fluid operates. In many cases asingle gate will obviously be sufficient. The reason for using theadjustable cross-heads will now be apparent, which is that the angularmovement of the said gates must be in some degree proportional to thesize of the ports in which they operate.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have indicated a fly-ball or conical pendulum F,which is connected by the bell-crank c, the rock-shaftf, turning in thebrackets 719 7s, and the link L to the extension a of the arm A wherebyany change in operation of my speed-regulator by reason of unequal andunbalanced pressures on the opposite sides of the gates G, G, and Gwhich would tend to interfere with their movement,

I may provide a suitable piston working in, a cylinder containing fluidat a pressure sufficient to balance such unbalanced pressures, the saidpiston being connected to any suitable portion of the mechanismas, forin stance, the link L. I may also provide any suitable system of springsor dash-.pots to prevent irregular working; but I have not shown anysuch devices for the sake of simplicity and for the reason that theiruse would readily suggest itself.

In Fig. 3 I have shown my speed-regulating device as a governoroperating on both sides of the turbine, which is so shown because myturbine is in general double-sided, both of which sides are in allrespects similar. In Figs. 2 and 3, E is the exhaust for the expansiblefluid, T the casing of the turbine, and R- the rotating'shaft, to whichare connected the various devices intended to transmit or consume thepower generated by the turbine.

Having described my speed-regulator when used as a governor for constantspeed, it will be readily seen that by omitting the conical pendulum orother automatic device for compensating any change in load andsubstituting a suitable hand-lever and sector or similar device I mayuse my invention as a speedregulator for variable speed and loadas, forinstance, where the turbine to which it is connected is used for marinepropulsion.

Having now fully illustrated and described my invention, what I desireparticularly to claim is 1. An adjustable expansion-tube having a sidemovable about a point at the discharge end of said expansion-tube.

2. An adjustable expansion-tube having a gate rotatable upon a shaftsituated at the discharge end of said expansion-tube.

.3. A speed-regulator for expansible-fluid turbines, having anexpansion-tube with a movable side, a centrifugal or other governingdevice, and connecting means for operating the said movable side by saidgoverning device, the said connecting means being adjustable to vary therelative movement of said movable side and said governing device.

I.- A speed-regulator for' expansible-fluid turbines operating in aplurality of stages, the sa'idspeed-regulator comprisinga centrifugal orother governing device, a series of variable expansion-tubes, andconnecting means for adjusting the said variable expansion-tubes bymeans of the movement of said governing device, the said connectingmeans being adjustable to vary the degree of adjustment of saidexpansion-tu bes as respects the movement of said governing device.

5. A speed-regulator for expansible-fluid turbines operating in aplurality of stages, the said speed-regulator comprising a centrifugalor other governing device, a series of variable expansion tubes havingmovable sides, and connecting means for operating the said movable sidesbyv the said governing device, the said connecting means beingadjustable to vary the relative movement of the said adjustable sides,both as respects themselves and as respects the said governing device.

BENJAMIN'S. CHURCH.

' Witnesses:

GEO. B. MORRIS, THOMAS Gr. HILLMAN.

